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VICTORIA — British Columbia Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says the province is sending almost 100 wildland firefighters to Ontario, where fires have been threatening several communities near the Manitoba border.
Parmar says the deployment comes after B.C. sent 42 firefighters to Manitoba, where a blaze near Lac du Bonnet this week destroyed 28 homes and cottages and left two people dead.
Manitoba remains in a state of emergency following a declaration by Premier Wab Kinew on May 15.
Parmar said the deployments are part of an inter-agency agreement that allows provinces to ask each other for wildfire support.
Cool temperatures and rain have kept B.C.’s own fire situation manageable, Parmar says, allowing for the crews to be deployed.
He said it’s up to Ontario to decide where the B.C. firefighters will be sent.
Parmar said typical deployments to other jurisdictions last two weeks, but government is assessing the situation on a daily basis.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre said in its 2023 report summarizing Canada’s record-setting wildfire season that national and international collaboration will become increasingly important with the changing climate.
In 2023, every province except Quebec deployed personnel to B.C. to help fight wildfires.
The province also received support from the Yukon, the Canadian Armed Forces, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica and South Africa during the record-setting wildfire season.
2023 was also Canada’s worst fire season on record as wildfires burned more than 17.2 million hectares.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press
